Support unit for stacked items

ABSTRACT

A support unit is provided that can be stacked with a similar, second support unit and that permits stacking of different electronic components. The support unit has a vertical outer panel which has a lower horizontal edge. An inner panel is connected to the outer panel and includes first and second horizontal contact planes. The first contact plane abuts a bottom wall of a first one of a pair of stacked items. A flange extends from the inner panel. The flange has a top surface offset from the first and second horizontal contact planes by an equal distance. The flange mates with a substantially identical flange of a second, similar support unit such that the top surface of the flange abuts with a substantially identical top surface of the substantially identical flange, and the first contact plane is coplanar with the second contact plane of the similar, second support unit.

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/808,682 filed Mar. 15, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,091.

This invention relates generally to the construction of electronics enclosures, and has to do particularly with the means utilized to support a stack of enclosures both interstitially and from underneath.

PRIOR ART

In prior constructions for stacked electronics enclosures, the interstitial supports and the mounting “feet” under the bottom enclosure were of different designs, requiring two different designs to be conceived, manufactured and warehoused. It is generally conceded that a major breakthrough in design would be achieved if a single construction could be utilized for both the mounting feet and the interstitial stacking supports.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of one aspect of this invention to provide a single design which will fulfil all requirements for a foot mounting part and a stacking part.

More particularly, this invention provides a support unit comprising:

a) an outer panel adapted to lie substantially in a vertical plane when in use, the outer panel having a substantially straight, horizontal lower edge with two ends, and

b) an inner panel extending generally at right-angles to the outer panel and connected thereto along a portion of said edge which is adjacent one end of the edge; the inner panel having first means defining a first horizontal contact plane on the upper side of the inner panel, and having second means defining a second horizontal contact plane on the lower side of the inner panel, the two planes being substantially parallel,

whereby said support unit can be affixed to an item which has a bottom wall intended to be horizontal, such that said first means supports said bottom wall while said second means rests against a substantially horizontal supporting surface.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a single unit which can be used alone as a mounting foot or can be used with another similar unit to provide an interstitial spacer and rigidifier;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two units identical to the one unit shown in FIG. 1, locked together to provide an interstitial spacer;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two stack enclosures utilizing the interstitial spacer of the present design, viewed from a level even with the interstitial space;

FIG. 4 is a view of the components of FIG. 3, as seen obliquely from above; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the unit of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Attention is first direct to FIG. 1, which shows a support unit 10, having essentially an outer panel 12 and an inner panel 14.

The outer panel 12 includes a lower frame member 16 which has a rectilinear lower edge 17 when viewed in elevation (as in FIG. 5) but has a curved outer edge 18 when seen in perspective (as in FIG. 1).

The outer panel 12 further incorporates upstanding, rectilinear side frame members 20, and an upwardly arched upper frame member 22.

The inner panel 14 extends generally at right-angles to the outer panel 12, and is connected thereto along the rightward portion of the lower frame member 16 (i.e., along the rightward part of the lower edge 17 of the outer panel).

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the inner panel 14 is in the form of an approximately rectangular plate 24 which integrally supports four elongate, spaced-apart bars 26, each having a flat top surface 28. The flat surfaces 28 are coplanar and define what will be called a “first contact plane 30” in this disclosure.

A dot-dash line in FIG. 5 indicates the position of the first contact plane 30.

It will be realized from what follows that the bars 26 represent only one of several possible designs, any one of which could fulfil the purpose of defining the first contact plane 30. For example, the interstitial space between adjacent bars 26 could be filled with material.

Turning again to FIG. 5, the inner panel 14 has a recess 32 which receives a pad 34 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is in the form of a conical frustum and defines a pad surface 36 which lies in a plane which will be designated hereinafter as the second contact plane 38. A dot-dash line in FIG. 5 indicates the position of this contact plane.

Attention is directed to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, which illustrate generally at 40 the inside view of a recess allowing the outer panel 12 of the support unit 10 to be secured to a stacked item with the inner panel 14 in contact with the same stacked item. More particularly, the recess 40 has the form of a countersunk hole 42 for receiving the head (not illustrated) of a threaded fastener 43 which attaches the support unit 10 to one of the items mentioned earlier. A concentric boss 44 has a face 45 intended to contact the surface of an enclosure.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the support unit 10 further includes a flange 46 which is adjacent the mid-region of the outer panels 12, and which extends generally parallel with the first and second contact planes 30 and 38. Preferably, the flange 46 is integral with the inner panel. Whether integral or not, the flange 46 is contiguous with and supported by the inner panel 14, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5.

More particularly, the flange 46 is substantially flat, and has a top surface 48 which contains a hypothetical line 50 extending at right angles to the outer panel 12. The structure of the support unit 10 is such that a pair of similar or identical support units, with one of them rotated about the hypothetical line through 180° with respect to the other, can be fitted together with the hypothetical lines 50 coincident, with the flanges in surface contact, with the lower edges of the outer panels in aligned contact, and with the first contact plane of each support unit 10 coplanar with the second contact plane of the other support unit. This means that a single support unit alone can provide a load-bearing foot with which to support at least part of the overall weight of a stack of items (such as electrical housings or enclosures), while a pair of support units 10 in rotated juxtaposition about their said hypothetical lines 50 (as defined above) can provide an interstitial spacer between two stacked items, with each support unit attached to its respective item by way of the respective securement means 40.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the hypothetical line 50 is substantially equidistant from the first and second contact planes 30 and 38. These two distances are identified by the letter a in FIG. 5.

Attention is again directed to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, which show that the flat flange 46 has a first detent means 52 in the form of a triangular protuberance pointing toward the outer panel 12, whereas the outer panel 12 has a second detent means 54 in the form of a triangular protuberance pointing away from the outer panel 12. The detents 52, 54 are such that, when a pair of the support units 10 are in rotational juxtaposition about their coinciding hypothetical lines 50, the first detent means 52 of each support unit 10 interlocks with the second detent means 54 of the other support unit 10, to restrain the pair of support units from disengaging. Engagement is shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates two stacked enclosures 56 maintained apart and held in relative position by a pair of the support units 10, while FIG. 4 shows the FIG. 3 structure from a different angle.

While one embodiment of this invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the essence of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A support unit for mating with a similar, second support unit to provide a space between a pair of stacked items, the support unit comprising: (a) an outer panel adapted to lie substantially in a vertical plane when in use, the outer panel having a substantially straight, horizontal lower edge having a first end and a second end, (b) an inner panel extending generally at a right-angle relative to the outer panel and being connected thereto along a portion of said horizontal lower edge, the inner panel being located adjacent to the first end of the horizontal lower edge, the inner panel having a first horizontal contact plane on an upper side of the inner panel, and a second horizontal contact plane on a lower side of the inner panel, each of the planes being substantially parallel to one another, said first horizontal contact plane for abutting a bottom wall of a first one of the pair of stacked items; and (c) a flange extending from the inner panel and projecting toward the second end of the horizontal lower edge, the flange having a top surface that is offset from the first horizontal contact plane and the second horizontal contact plane by a generally equal distance, the flange being configured to mate with a substantially identical flange of said similar, second support unit such that the top surface of the flange of the support unit abuts with a substantially identical top surface of said substantially identical flange and the first horizontal contact plane of the support unit is coplanar with a second horizontal contact plane of the similar, second support unit when said support unit is mated with said similar, second support unit.
 2. The support unit claimed in claim 1, wherein said first horizontal contact plane includes a plurality of spaced-apart bars having top surfaces all lying substantially in said first horizontal contact plane.
 3. The support unit claimed in claim 1, wherein said second horizontal contact plane includes a pad defining a substantially flat pad surface lying substantially in said second contact plane.
 4. The support unit claimed in claim 1, wherein said first horizontal contact plane includes a plurality of spaced-apart bars having coplanar top surfaces all lying substantially in said first contact plane, and wherein the second horizontal contact plane includes a pad defining a substantially flat, circular pad surface lying substantially in said second contact plane.
 5. The support unit claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a first detent protruding from the inner panel of the support unit; a second detent protruding from the outer panel of the support unit; and wherein the first detent and the second detent of the first support unit are for interlocking with a second detent and a first detent, respectively, of the similar, second support unit to maintain the support unit in engagement with the second support unit.
 6. The support unit claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer panel of the support unit includes securing means for securing the first one of the pair of stacked items to the outer panel. 